TWO MORE CHARGED IN SOUTH BAY

Former Southwestern College administrator, architect arraigned

Nicholas Alioto, 46, former vice president of business affairs at Southwestern College was arraigned on one felony charge each of perjury and filing false documents, and one misdemeanor charge of conflict of interest. Alioto plead not guilty.

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Nicholas Alioto, 46, former vice president of business affairs at Southwestern College was arraigned on one felony charge each of perjury and filing false documents, and one misdemeanor charge of conflict of interest. Alioto plead not guilty.

A former administrator and a former contractor for Southwestern College were arraigned Monday on charges as part of San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ widening corruption probe in the South Bay.

Nicholas Alioto, 46, former vice president of business affairs at the college, pleaded not guilty to one felony charge each of perjury and filing false documents, and one misdemeanor charge of conflict of interest.

Architect Paul Bunton, 53, whose firm won a $5.3 million contract from the college in April 2010, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of aiding in the commission of a misdemeanor.

If convicted of all charges, Alioto faces a maximum penalty of up to four years and two months in prison. Bunton faces a maximum sentence of six months in prison and is cooperating with the prosecution.

Alioto and his defense attorney, Sanjay Bhandari, declined to comment after the court proceedings, which lasted about 5 minutes.

Bunton was not in court Monday. His defense attorney, Dana Grimes, submitted a written admission from Bunton to Judge Michael Smyth.

“I paid for meals and entertainment for Southwestern College officials,” the note said. “My actions triggered reporting responsibilities by these officials under the rules of the Fair Political Practices Commission. To my knowledge, those officials subsequently did not meet their reporting responsibilities.”

Bunton created designs for a gateway administration building on the college’s lot at the corner of East H Street and Otay Lakes Road under the Proposition R voter-approved bond measure.

The DA’s office is building a case against current and former officials across Southwestern College and Sweetwater schools. Two current and two former Sweetwater officials have pleaded not guilty to charges similar to those now being brought against Alioto.

Dumanis says the officials accepted thousands of dollars worth of gifts, entertainment and meals in exchange for votes on millions of dollars of construction contracts.

When it came time to report the gifts on their state-mandated forms, “they simply lied,” Dumanis said at a news conference in January about the case.

Bunton has been cooperating with the prosecution, Deputy District Attorney Leon Schorr told the judge. Bunton said through an attorney later Monday afternoon that he only recently became aware of some of the state-mandated reporting requirements.

“This misdemeanor plea does not in any way reflect upon the award-winning work my associates and I have done in our long architectural careers,” Bunton said. “I am fully cooperating with the DA’s office during its investigation, which I hope will help alert others as to the importance of full compliance with state codes and reporting obligations.”

At Southwestern, Bunton and Alioto appeared to develop a close working and personal relationship, according to an affidavit used to justify the first round of search warrants executed in December.

In an email dated Nov. 26, 2009, Bunton wrote about Alioto, “I get the impression if I can find the design that he wants, while I stay before him and entertain him constantly, that we’ll get the deal. Giddy up.”

On Jan. 25, the college governing board voted to terminate BCA’s contract, although $3.5 million had already been paid.

Alioto resigned in February 2011, after The Watchdog reported about a college foundation gala at which contractors bid on the prize of spending a golf and wine getaway weekend with Alioto in Napa Valley.

In an email to The Watchdog earlier this month, Alioto said hiring practices of contractors at Southwestern were “never more transparent as during the 2009-2011 period. Previously, services contractors were picked by the Facilities Department without committees. During my tenure, committees of faculty, staff and community members were involved in all selection processes and in every case, the contractor I recommended to the president was the contractor recommended by the committee. Written ballots exist signed by the committee members for each selection.”

Last week, a construction executive who worked for both districts pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for his cooperation in the case. Henry Amigable, 47, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of offering something of value to a school board member to influence a decision. Amigable had been charged with felony bribery in January. Those charges were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea to the lesser charge.

Also last week, district attorney’s investigators searched the homes of two more former elected officials at Southwestern College.

Investigators retrieved pictures, computers, cellphones and documents from the Chula Vista home of former college board President Yolanda Salcido, 54, and the Jamul residence of former trustee Jorge Dominguez, 63.